Height adjusters permit a vehicle occupant to adjust the position of the upper belt deflection point according to his/her personal needs.
In a height adjuster, the belt deflector fitting is, as a rule, mounted to a sliding carriage which for its part is guided in a rail for sliding motion in one shifting direction, suitably the vertical direction. A locking mechanism makes sure that the sliding carriage can be arrested in different positions.
In case of an accident, the force which the occupant exerts on the safety belt is transmitted into the vehicle via the deflector fitting, the sliding carriage and the rail. This means that the sliding carriage needs to satisfy requirements as regards high stability, but of course also as regards cost-effective manufacturing.
It is an object of the invention to provide a low-cost sliding carriage for a height adjuster.